J&G Barbecue, local staple since late 70s, to close

J&G Barbecue, open in one form or another since the late 70s, will close on Dec. 22.

Sam Roberts/Times-News

By By Steve Huffman/Times-News

Published: Monday, December 17, 2012 at 03:39 PM.

J&G Bar-B-Que Restaurant is closing. The last day the business — in the
Westbrook
Shopping Center
at
3519 S. Church St.
— will be open is Dec. 22.

“Come on by and stock up on your J&G barbecue sauce,” said Tom McAlister, one of the owners. “It may be the last time it’s available for awhile.”

McAlister and his fellow partners — Jeff Hodgin and Kevin and Martha Bowers — said business never boomed at the location. J&G was for years a fixture on the other side of town — near
Haw River
on
North Church Street
. The restaurant was owned and operated by
George
Overman.

The business closed after 28 years in business in 2004 when Overman retired, but reopened under McAlister and his partners in 2005. They bought it because they’d grown up on J&G barbecue and wanted to keep it alive. A fire leveled the restaurant nine months later.

It was February 2008 before the business reopened on
South Church Street
, in a building that had previously been home to Huey’s Barbecue. McAlister said a down economy and a lack of loyal customers hurt J&G at its new location.

“The people of
Haw River
wouldn’t drive that far on a regular basis,” he said.

McAlister’s involvement with the business was primarily as an investor. He lives in
Atlanta
. The Bowerses eventually moved to
South
Carol
ina
because of jobs. McAlister said Hodgin lives near Pittsboro and also has another job.

J&G Bar-B-Que Restaurant is closing. The last day the business — in the WestbrookShopping Center at 3519 S. Church St. — will be open is Dec. 22.

“Come on by and stock up on your J&G barbecue sauce,” said Tom McAlister, one of the owners. “It may be the last time it’s available for awhile.”

McAlister and his fellow partners — Jeff Hodgin and Kevin and Martha Bowers — said business never boomed at the location. J&G was for years a fixture on the other side of town — near Haw River on North Church Street. The restaurant was owned and operated by George Overman.

The business closed after 28 years in business in 2004 when Overman retired, but reopened under McAlister and his partners in 2005. They bought it because they’d grown up on J&G barbecue and wanted to keep it alive. A fire leveled the restaurant nine months later.

It was February 2008 before the business reopened on South Church Street, in a building that had previously been home to Huey’s Barbecue. McAlister said a down economy and a lack of loyal customers hurt J&G at its new location.

“The people of Haw River wouldn’t drive that far on a regular basis,” he said.

McAlister’s involvement with the business was primarily as an investor. He lives in Atlanta. The Bowerses eventually moved to South Carolina because of jobs. McAlister said Hodgin lives near Pittsboro and also has another job.

“It’s not a good business model when your primary owners are out of the area,” McAlister said.

He said two fires at the South Church Street location also forced the closing of the restaurant for a period, which hurt business even more.

McAlister said he and his partners still own the J&G name and the property on North Church Street. Maybe, McAlister said, they’ll rebuild and reopen when the economy improves.

Meanwhile, Eric Lupton will be opening a new restaurant at the South Church Street location. Lupton said the business will probably remain closed until February while the restaurant is remodeled. It’ll reopen as Stokely’s Barbecue, Lupton said, specializing in barbecue and seafood.